Airship of the torres type



H. KAPFERER, AIRSHIP 0F THE TORR\ES TYPE. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 15, I918.

Inz enfm; kafsfev'mm 15W.

H. KAPFERER. AIRSHIP OF THE TORRES TYPE. 1 AF'PLlCATION FILED MAR4I5,1918.

Patented Nov. 30, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED T;

PATENT OFFICE.

HENRI KArrnBE-R, or m re, rennet, ess feiroifa "ro AsrRAsociEirE ANONYME, or

' 'IBILL'ANCOURT, SEINE, FRANCE.

AIiiSH'IP OF THE roimns TYPE.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HENRI KA1 rnRER,--a

' citizen ofthe French liegublic, and residing at No. 26 Rue de Oiiehy, invented certain new and "useful Improvements in Airshi-ps of the Torres Type, of which the following is a specification.

' This invention consists in improvements in airships of the Torres type, and these i111; provements have for their object to dispense with all metallic parts and pieces hitherto employed in thistyp'e of airship for assembling'the various constituent parts of the airship envelop.

described with reference to the accompanydrawings in whichz-e Figures 1 and 2 are respectively lon gitu'dinal side elevation and a vertical' 'cr'ossseo'tion of an airship of the Torres type. p

Figs. 3-and= 4 are respectivelya' partial longitudinal elevation, and a vertical crosssection on the line otFig. 3, showing the various parts that constitute the lower edge of an airship envelop constructed. ac-

cording to this invention.

Figs. 5 and 6 are respectively a plan and a vertical cross-section on the line 6 6 of Fig. '5, of an improved device through I which one of the groups of the suspension ropes passes.

The improved airship viewed" from the outside comprises three reentrant angles, 1,

2, 3, formed by the longitudinal edges of three lobes 4a, 5, 6', 'circuinscribing atriangle whose three angles constitute the api'ces of n the reentr'ant angles 1, 2,- 3,- and whose three "sides are formed by the girders 7, 8, 9 that ternal suspension connected to the car 16:,

These four fabrics are sewn together and constitute each of theupper ed'ges thatforin the lateral limit of theupper l0be5: r-

aris, France, have lacing eyelets and the metal :parts through Specification of tettersratent. P t t d No 30; 1920;

Application filedMai'h 15, 1918. Serial No. 222,561. g 1

.19 sewn afterward on the outside of the fabrics, .11, 12. i

starting. from the boltropes 13, 1d, are connected together in groups, and pass through a the lower edge of the airship envelop and The manner in 'whichvthis invention is to be per-formed willnow be'm'oreparticularly are connected to the car 16; 3 p p Hitherto, theatta'chinent of the fabrics 7, 9, 11 and 12 aroundthe cords 17 andf18 ha s been eflectedby a lacingcoinprising a ropes 15 passed. through the lower edge by being threaded through suitable metal parts.

Owing to this method. of assembling, the

which the suspension ropes passed,- were in contact with the gas in theenvelop and were rapidly oxidized,"and they corroded the lacinjg cords of the edge of the envelop;

The present invention has now for its objectto remedy these variousdrawbacks, and

it consists substantially in a system of lacing the several fabrics connected tothe lower edgeof an airship with internal suspension,

90 dined is in contact with the gasxin the enwherein no metal part capable ofjbeing oxivelop. v s. e 7

One of the essential characteristic features of .the invention consistsin that the four fabrics 7 9, 11 and 12 connected tothe' lower edge of the airship envelop, are sewn .to' boltropes 20, all similar to one another (Figs. and-4L). Inside each boltrope 20. there are inserted a number of wooden-rods 21 arranged in lineiiwithone another." Each rod 21 ispi'ovided with two collars 22, 23,

passing through an aperture formed in the. correspondingboltrope; J

To form the edge of the envelop, theboltropes. of thewfour fabrics are arranged in such a manner that the 'collars'522,-23; of the The internal suspension ropes of the car rods willbe opposite each other: Then the] four corresponding; rods 21'; are arranged arou-nd the c'ords' 17, 18 and fastened togetheraszshown'in Fig. 4, by means of a strap 24, 25, consisting of a small cord ending in a loop at each end. Theloop 24 at one end of the strap is engaged in the loop 25 formed at the other end after having tied the four rods together.

A cord 26 passing successively through the loops 24 of the adjacent straps, prevents the fastenings thus formed from coming undone.

Another characteristic feature of the invention consists in that the apertures formed in the lower edge of the airship envelop for the passage of the suspension ropes 15 of the car 16, are formed by thimbles 27 of suitable shape made of wood or any other inoxidizable material.

Each thimble 27, illustrated separately in Figs. 5 and 6, is formed on each side with longitudinal grooves 28 to receive the cords 17, 18, of the lower edge of the envelop. These cords are first separated from each other to form an opening in which the thimble is gripped, and at the ends of which they are then brought together and tied. Two servings of yarn 29 serve to prevent the cords 17 18, from coming out of the thimble.

Each thimble 27 ,is formed with a series of holes 30 by means of which are attached the respective rods 21 of the four boltropes. For this purpose, the rods of the right-hand side of the envelop 11 and of the girder '7 'are attached to the corresponding side of the thimble 27 by means of a strap 81 which passes through the holes 30 in the thimble 27 and is looped, as above described, around a fastening cord 32.

The arrangement is the same on the lefthand side.

The arrangements hereinabove described are given solely by way of example, and it is to be understood that the shapes, dimensions andconstructional details and applications may be varied without departing from the nature of the invention.

.Havingnow described my invention, what I claim. as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In an airship of the Torres type, non- ,oxidizable means for securing together the edges of the fabrics constituting the lower edge of the envelop and allowing passage of internal suspension ropes, comprising in combination a series of rods respectively attached to the edge of each fabric, means for binding the rods together and to a continuous fastening rope, and means located between edges of the fabrics to receive and guide the internal suspension ropes of the airshi i 2. n attachment device for securing togetherthe edgesof the fabrics constituting thelower edge of the envelop'of an airship,

comprising in combination a boltrope secured to'the edge of each fabric, a rod extending through each boltrope, astrap arwhereby the thimbles are carried by said pair a ship, comprising incombination a boltrope secured to the edge of each fabric, a number of rods embraced by each boltrope, the said rods being arranged in groups, a strap arranged around each group ofyrods, a longitudinal fastening rope also embraced by each of the said straps, whereby the latter are retained in their position around the said arms, and means located between the edges of the fabrics to receive and guide the car suspension rope. 1

4. .In an airship of the Torres type, nonoxidizable means for securing together the edges of the fabrics, constituting the lower edge of the envelop and allowing passage of internal suspension ropes, comprising in combination a series of rods respectively attached to the edge of each fabric, means for binding the rods together and, to a continuous fastening rope, a' pair of ropes positioned within the aforesaid binding means, non-oxidizable thimbles carried by said pair of ropes, a car, and internal, suspension ropes secured to the car and passing through the thimbles. r a .5. In an airship of the Torres type, nonozridizable means for securingtogether the edges of the fabricsconstituting the lower edge of the envelop and allowing passage of internal suspension ropes, comprising in combination a series of rods respectively attached to the edge of each fabric, means for binding the rods together and to a continuous fastening rope, a pair of ropes positioned within the aforesaid binding means, non-oxidizable perforated thimbles, means of ropes, a binding means'for securing together'the saidropes and the said series of rods,ra car, and internal suspension ropes secured to the car and passingthrough the thimbles.

'6. Infan airship of the Torres type, nonoxidizable means for securing together the edges of the fabrics constituting the lower edge of the envelop and allowing passage of internal suspension ropes, comprising in combination a series of rods respectively attachedto the edge of each fabric, means for binding the rods together and to a continuous fastening rope, a pair of ropes positioned within-the aforesaid binding means, nonoxidizable 'perforatedgrooved thimbles engaging said pair of ropes by the said groovbinding'means extending through the thimbles and engagingthe said series of rods at each side, further means for securing the oxidizable rods located in the looped edges ropes and thimbles together by encircling both the ropes and thimbles, a car, and internal suspension ropes secured to the car.

and passing through the thimble.

7 In an airship, the combination with. a plurality of fabrics having looped meeting edges provided with spaced openings, of inand having collars which project through said apertures, and cords passed around said i rods for securing the fabrics together.

8. A combination as defined in claim 7,

in which each of the cords is providedw'ith looped ends, one end of a cord after passing 91 In an airship, the combination with envelop fabrics provided at their adjacent edges with boltropes, of a member located at vided with grooved edges, ropes extending substantially parallel to theedges of said fabrics and resting in saidgrooves, said member being provided with a series of the adjacent edges of said fabrics and prospaced apertures, inoxidizable rods located i.

"in the boltropes at the edges of the fabric, means connected to said rods and passing through said apertures for securing the fabrics to said member and internal suspenslon ropes secured to the envelop and passing through said member.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

HENRI 'K PFERER', 

